Why I DNF’d The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

When I first got back into reading for pleasure a few years ago, virtually all the BookTokers and BookTubers were recommending The Silent Patient. I read the blurb online and thought, “Get in this freaking cart!” I thought I was in for a treat…

It ended up being a DNF 😒 and I’ll tell you why.

The Premise

Here’s a bit of background for those who don’t know: A painter named Alicia shoots her husband in the face several times (of course, he dies). She doesn’t say a single word after that. We follow Theo (Alicia’s therapist), who hopes to get her to talk and uncover the motive behind the killing.

It Started Off So Well

From the second I picked this book up, my eyes were SUPER GLUED to the pages. The author didn’t take long to set things up. In just a few minutes, I knew what Alicia did, what the police discovered at the scene, how Alicia ended up at the mental facility, background on Theo, tidbits about Theo’s motive, and more. So, I was THOROUGHLY invested in no time.

After a millisecond of being in Theo’s head, I thought, “There’s something off about this man.” He’s got some really weird ways and repeatedly references a darkness inside him. Plus, he makes highly questionable decisions. I love a crazy character in a thriller…who doesn’t? 😝

When I got to Alicia’s POV, I was as giddy as a 90s kid in Toys' R ' Us.

The author used diary entries to let the reader into Alicia’s mind… nothing in the world is juicier than that. This was vital, given that she was mute. Believe me when I tell you, this POV is visceral, introspective, and unhinged to the max! 🙌🏾

I didn’t even want to read Theo’s POV again after getting a taste of Alicia’s. It was just so good.

Why I DNF’d The Silent Patient

So, here’s what made me put The Silent Patient down.

There’s a scene early on in Alicia’s POV where Alicia is painting Jesus on the cross and doesn't like how it’s turning out. She decides to paint her husband on the cross instead.

No.👎🏾

She made comments about the expression her husband should have on his face as Not-Jesus (somber or not somber). After deciding that she was going to ask her husband to pose for the cross painting, she mentioned that her husband may find the request as sacrilegious but went through with it anyway.

Absolutely not. 👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾

I just found this whole scene to be stupid and disrespectful, considering the sanctity of the image of Jesus on the cross.

I don’t expect (or need) every book to be faith-based. And I’m okay with characters not sharing my beliefs. But there’s a difference between writing non-religious characters and spreading outright blasphemy. When a book crosses that line, I DNF. 🛑

I don’t care how many pages I’ve read or how the book ends. 🤷🏾‍♀️

So, there you have it - why I DNF’d The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

If you’ve read the book, did that scene stick out to you? What did you think of it? If you haven’t read the book yet, do you still plan on picking it up? Let me know in the comments.